PALM BEACH GARDENS — The Center for Child Counseling‘s Black Ties and French Fries Out of This World Gala isn’t just an excuse to have a good time.

The 5th annual family friendly event raised money to support young children in Palm Beach County impacted by abuse, violence and other traumatic situations.

Now that’s a charity that certainly needs all the support it can get, especially given that 2017 Kids Count Data shows that Florida ranks 40th in overall child well-being.

The center’s CEO Renee Layman said: “Early Childhood Mental Health is at the core of our mission at Center for Child Counseling. We know that this period of life provides the foundation for physical and emotional health throughout the lifespan. Our prevention and early intervention efforts target the most vulnerable children in Palm Beach County experiencing adversity, abuse, and traumatic situations no child should ever endure.”

“As a society, we should not sit back and wait for our children to fall apart before we provide appropriate, early care and support. With early intervention, we can prevent a lifetime of emotional problems that can lead to addiction, mental illness, and other issues later in life.”

We couldn’t agree more.

To see all the beautiful people who came out to the Country Club at Mirasol to support this beautiful cause, check out Mike Jachles’ photo gallery below.